Foot and Ankle Arthritis Treatment - Vancouver, BC

As one of the world’s most prevalent health problems, arthritis affects over 350 million people globally and can cause disability. Arthritis is one of the most common afflictions people experience in their feet and ankles. 

Dr. Joseph Stern routinely diagnoses and treats patients with arthritis of the foot or ankle. He specializes in podiatry and has more than three decades of medical experience. Below is a brief overview of foot arthritis and how it can affect a person’s everyday life.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an umbrella term that describes more than 100 diseases involving joint inflammation. Arthritis can affect areas in and around any joint in the body, causing stiffness, pain, and swelling. 

The condition can be acute, meaning pain and inflammation occurs suddenly. It can also be chronic, affecting joints and other body parts near the affected joints, including skin, lungs, and blood vessels. 

Arthritis is a progressive disease, so it will cause joints, bones, and cartilage to deteriorate over time. The cushioning cartilage between bones will slowly disappear, causing joint bone surfaces to wear down due to friction. Soft tissues around the joints may also experience pain and swelling. 

What Is Foot and Ankle Arthritis?

Most forms of arthritis occur in the foot and ankle. These structures contain 28 bones, 112 ligaments, 33 joints, 21 intrinsic muscles, and 13 extrinsic muscles. Foot arthritis often affects the ankle and big toe joints. 

Besides pain and swelling, foot and ankle arthritis can physically change the structure and appearance of those body parts. The persistent aches and deformities make walking and flexing the affected foot difficult.

What Is the Most Common Type of Arthritis of the Foot or Ankle?

Osteoarthritis or wear and tear arthritis is the most common type of foot arthritis. The condition occurs when the cartilage between one or more joints degrades and deteriorates.
Cartilage is the connective tissue between two bones that form a joint. The tissue provides a cushioning effect to prevent the bones from grinding against each other during movement. Moving the affected joint becomes difficult without cartilage, limiting a person’s ability to engage in some activities easily. 

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative form of the condition and often develops as a part of the natural aging process. Millions of people have this type of foot arthritis, though it can also develop in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. It usually affects the big toe, midfoot, and ankle when it occurs in and around the foot. 

Causes of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear disease because the cartilage breaks down due to repeated stress and overuse. As the connective tissue gets thinner, the bones it protects will lose their cushioning.

It is also possible for the condition to develop after sustaining an injury. However, osteoarthritis will take months or years to set in an injured joint. For instance, a person could stub their big toe or sprain their midfoot and develop osteoarthritis years later. 

Osteoarthritis of the ankle often occurs after a fracture. A severe ankle sprain can also cause the development of the condition. 

A less common cause of osteoarthritis in the foot or ankle is an abnormality in foot mechanics, like a high foot arch or flat feet. Flat feet can be problematic because they have less ligament stability than feet with good arches, which can cause excessive joint strain. High foot arches are rigid bodily structures that can jam joints and increase the risk of arthritis. 

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

A person with osteoarthritis in the foot will likely experience stiffness and pain in and around the joint. Swelling is also a possibility due to inflammation. Because of the discomfort, it will be difficult for them to walk or flex the joint. 
Having osteoarthritis can cause other problems, like bone spurs, in the affected joint. Friction from snug shoes can irritate the bone spur, producing calluses or blisters on the skin at the site of the bony protrusion. Bone spurs will also reduce a person’s range of motion within the joint. 

General Symptoms of Foot Arthritis

Like osteoarthritis, general symptoms of foot arthritis include pain, reduced range of motion, swelling, and stiffness. Sometimes the pain is severe, worsening when moving the joint or engaging in vigorous activities. The affected area may feel tender, so applying pressure to the joint can be painful. 

Most people with foot arthritis feel more pain in the morning when they wake up or after sitting for a long time. When stationary, the body releases anti-inflammatory compounds and chemicals to soothe joint pain and stiffness. Since the body can no longer fight the effects of inflammation when in motion, people with foot arthritis often wake up incredibly sore. 

How Podiatrists Diagnose Foot and Ankle Arthritis

People need a podiatrist to diagnose foot and ankle arthritis to begin an effective treatment plan. There is no cure for the condition, but some treatments and medical procedures can reduce its adverse effects. 

When seeking a diagnosis, Dr. Stern will begin by taking the patient’s medical history. The health care provider will inquire about the pain, its location, check the range of motion and what actions aggravate and lessen the discomfort. 

After the discussion, the physician will perform a gait analysis test. The test measures the patient’s stride and the way they walk. Gait analysis helps diagnose foot arthritis because it shows Dr. Stern if the foot has abnormalities, how painful it is for the patient to walk, and if the patient struggles to move their foot or ankle. 

Dr. Stern may also order x-rays to take a closer look at the foot and ankle bones. The images will show them if the joint’s cartilage is thin or missing and if bones are grinding against each other.

Nonsurgical Treatment for Foot Arthritis

Foot and ankle arthritis have several treatment options, including surgery and at-home treatment. Weight control is one of the best ways to address foot arthritis because excess weight puts a strain on bones and joints in the lower half of the body. A balanced, nutritious diet and daily exercise are excellent for shedding pounds and managing weight. 

Other ways to reduce strain on foot or ankle joints include wearing a brace or orthotics for support, walking with a cane, shoes, and custom orthotics. Over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce swelling and make moving easier. Dr. Stern may recommend patients undergo steroid injections into the joint for relief.

Surgical Treatment for Foot Arthritis

Depending on the type and severity of foot arthritis a person has, their podiatrist may recommend surgical treatment. Surgery for foot arthritis comes in three forms.

Fusion Surgery

Arthrodesis or fusion surgery fuses joints without cartilage using pins, rods, screws, or plates. As the bones heal, they will merge into a single bone. Fusion surgery in the midfoot usually has no adverse effects on overall movement. 

Arthroscopic Surgery

An orthopedic foot & ankle surgeon may perform arthroscopic surgery during the early stages of foot arthritis. An arthroscope is a medical instrument the size of a pencil with a camera on its tip that projects images onto a monitor. A surgeon will insert the device into a joint to see the structure as they use tiny medical tools to clean the area or remove bone spurs on the joint. 

Joint Replacement Surgery

Ankles with severe arthritis may require joint replacement surgery or arthroplasty. During the procedure, a surgeon removes the affected bone and cartilage. A new plastic or metal joint replaces the bone and connective tissue to resume the function of the joint. The surgery is ideal for people with ankle pain that affects their daily life or destroyed ankle joint surfaces. 

Is Foot Arthritis Preventable?

All types of foot or ankle arthritis are preventable. It is possible to reduce the risk of developing the condition by maintaining a healthy diet and exercise. Excess weight will strain foot and ankle joints, leading to a slow progression of arthritis over time.

Addressing issues with feet biomechanics is another way to prevent foot or ankle arthritis. Flat feet or high arches can put undue stress on joints in feet. However, podiatrists can treat those problems with orthotic devices to support the joints or surgery if necessary. 

It is also essential to care for foot and ankle injuries promptly and correctly. Post-traumatic foot arthritis can develop after wearing out an injured joint. Treating the damage reduces the risk of developing the condition in the future.

Dr. Stern Will Help You Get Back on Your Feet

Dr. Joseph Stern is a foot and ankle specialist with over 30 years of experience and offers a broad range of advanced orthopedic and non-surgical treatment options for foot arthritis.

Working out of their Vancouver office, our doctor and his team offer the highest level of care to address painful foot arthritis and help you return to your daily activities.

Schedule an appointment today if you’re ready to better understand your treatment options.